


Treasured Bonds

by laxeanfortis



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Other, series of drabbles and fics here and there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-11-02 04:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20619920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laxeanfortis/pseuds/laxeanfortis
Summary: An alternate universe where the Sakuma Brothers are childhood friends of Anzu. A series of drabbles and stories of their childhood.





	1. Start of Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series of drabbles and fics commissioned by @LazyHaze2 on twitter! They will be updated as time goes on. 
> 
> NOTES FOR THIS CHAPTER:   
After studying the brothers a little bit, I put in a couple of my own headcannons in this fic:  
Ritsu and Rei’s relationship would have been good in the beginning   
The reason why Ritsu is very energetic in this fic is because I headcannon that Ritsu used to be like this as a child. However, it was after Rei left that Ritsu started to doubt himself and become more depressed, thus being the sleepy boy he is now.

It was a sunny day during little Anzu’s trip to the playground. Because it was early in the afternoon, there weren’t many children on the rides. This was good-- Anzu never really liked overcrowded places. She was the type to tread by herself and find new things. Curiosity always got the best of her. Sometimes, there would be small things like pretty rocks. Other times, there would be nothing. Today, Anzu’s curiosity led her to a very big finding. 

It was a bit strange to find a tiny child deep within the shadows of bushes and trees. Anzu was only near that area because a little butterfly intrigued her. After following it, she noticed a small boy with black hair, squatting with his head down low. It was a bit strange to see for a four-year-old. She could only blink in confusion. Nevertheless, like how any four years old would act, she turned around to start calling for her mother. There’s a child in the bushes! Momma come see! 

Strangely, she was cut off from the black-haired child’s yell. “Shhhh! Don’t yell! I’m hiding from the vampire!” 

Anzu, now even more confused, turned around to stare at the other child. “Vampire…?” 

The child nodded furiously. “Mmhm! Vampire! He’s out to try and suck my blood!” 

Anzu tilted her head to the side. “But why he is trying to suck your blood?”

“Because I’m the prince of a magical kingdom and my blood is special!” His whispers were sharp and crisp. “If that vampire drinks my blood, then he’ll end up destroying the world!” 

A tiny gasp escaped Anzu’s lips. “Oh no!” 

_ “SHHHH!!!” _

Ah-! She immediately covered her mouth. Then, while slowly lowering them, she whispered, “ _ oh no…! _ ” 

“Right?! So we have to stay hidden!” With that, the child signified Anzu to hide with her. After all, she had interacted with the Prince! If the vampire found her, then she may be in more danger than the other. 

Anzu perked up at the signal and immediately jumped within the bushes to hide next to the child. She curled up as tight as she could so her small body wouldn’t be seen by intruders. She was determined to keep the Prince protected, as well as having her own blood be safe! However, no matter how much she tried, there was still a question remaining in her head. She wouldn’t be able to hold it off any longer! Soon, the need for an explanation was needed and her head turned to face the Prince next to her. 

“But...Mr. Prince…? Who is the scary vampire?”

It was at that moment when a dark voice spoke up behind them. 

_ “Eheheheh~~ The vampire...is me!” _

The two children suddenly grew shrills! They both looked at each other before slowly turning their heads to the voice behind them. What rested was a taller boy similar to the little Prince, only his hair was longer. The darkness from the shrubs illuminated the boy’s eyes to a devastating red, dark and hungry for blood. To finish it all, the boy was grinning widely, as if he had found a rare treasure and wanted to store it out of greed. 

The entire world froze in silence at this moment. Anzu and the little child could only stare in shock. It was until the boy raised his arms that the two children let out a blood-curdling scream. It was the Vampire! The Vampire was here!!!

“RUUUUUUUUN!!!” The child quickly dashed for it. Anzu immediately rushed out after the child. 

“Heheheh...There’s nowhere to hide!” The Vampire exclaimed. “This playground is my kingdom! Anyone who steps into it will never escape my grasp!” 

Anzu tried her very best to escape the enemy’s plane of sight. Soon, she found herself hiding in one of the playground tunnels, breath heavy from overwork. Who knew that the vampire would be right behind her?! He was extremely fast and smart! Anzu couldn’t help but feel a little bit of fear run down her spine. If things were going to be like this, then she and the Prince would be in a lot of trouble…

Her bright brown eyes were shaking in a slight panic. She has to think of something so that she and the Prince would be safe! Come on Anzu! Think! For the safety of the Prince! The kingdom is depending on her!! She shut her eyes tightly. Think think! 

_ “Psst! Hey you!!”  _

Anzu jumped and shook in fright as she looked towards the end of the tunnel. Who was it?! Was the vampire! Oh no! She was ready to fight until she noticed the slight differences between the one who called her and the vampire who was searching for her. 

“Come on! I’m here to save you!” A hand reached through the tunnel. It turned out that the unknown person was the Prince!

“Prince!” Anzu exclaimed with wide eyes. “You’re safe!”

“I am! Now shhhh!!” The Prince whispered harshly, putting a finger to his mouth with his other hand. “We need to get out of here! Come on!” 

Anzu was suddenly filled with determination. Nodding harshly, she reached out her hand to grab the others. Once the hand was grabbed, the Prince pulled her out of the tube. Darkness quickly turned to light, causing Anzu to squint roughly. Adjusting to the light would be for the best; however, the Prince was already moving so fast she wasn’t able to. Nevertheless, she never let go of the child’s hand, running to their next destination. 

“Prince, where are we going!” Anzu exclaimed towards the Prince. 

“Someplace where the Vampire won’t see us!” The Prince exclaimed back. They continued to run deeper into the park. 

Soon, the two of them landed in an area away from the playground-- a deserted place next to a bunch of trees. It was obvious that the Prince wasn’t really used to exercising because he was a panting mess by the time they stopped running. Anzu looked at the tired boy with a worried face, leaning down to take a better look.

“Prince? Are you alright…?” She asked the child. 

“Yeah!” He huffed. “I’m- perfectly fine!” 

It was clear that the boy was not fine; However, Anzu knew that prying further would be useless so she didn’t. Instead, she looked around to see where she was. All she saw was a huge patch of grass and trees as far as the eye could see. Far in the distance, she could see the equipment from the playground, now smaller than ever. The boy dragged her this far! No wonder he was so tired. 

“Will the Vampire find us here…?” Anzu said worriedly. 

“No, we’ll be safe…” Despite the reassuring words, the child still scanned to his left and right in case of any danger. 

There was a look of relief across Anzu’s face. Today felt like such a roller coaster, she was starting to become tired! She immediately plopped onto the ground with a huge sigh. Rolling her head back, her mouth hung open to let out an exhausted groan. Who knew that meeting the child would result in a huge chase! Although, it was a little fun-- she couldn’t help but admit that. 

Anzu tilted her head back up to look at the child once more. “Thank you for trying to save me…”

Suddenly, her eyes widened. Something was wrong. The child’s eyes were wide as they looked out into the distance. What was the matter? She was about to raise her voice to ask before a dark voice appeared nearby. 

“Heheheheh~~ Fools! Did you think you could hide from me…?” 

Anzu swerved her head towards the voice. There stood the tall, dark-haired Vampire from before. A loud scream filled the playground. Oh no! He found us! What was she going to do! Immediately, she tried to stand up but the Vampire’s voice boomed.

“Hah hah...You won’t be able to stand now that I used my Vampire abilities to glue you to the ground!” A large grin appeared on the boy’s face as he walked closer. 

Anzu’s eyes widened as she suddenly plopped back to the ground. Oh no! She wasn’t able to move! Her eyes frantically looked around before pinning onto the Prince. Surely, the Prince was able to help! He has some powers too right?!

“Prince! Please help me…!!” She yelled. 

However, the Prince simply sat there, eyes widened at the sight of the Vampire. Anzu couldn’t help but shake in fear. Was the Prince not able to move as well? If that was the case, then this was bad! Extremely bad! She was about to yell at the other in worry before she froze. 

The Prince was suddenly giving an evil grin!

“Prince…?” Anzu stared at the child with a confused look on her face. “Prince, what’s wrong?”

The Prince gave a low laugh before standing up. Anzu’s eyes widened from realizing that the Vampire didn’t glue him to the ground. She wanted to cry for help, but for some reason, her brain told her not to. It kept telling her that it was useless and that something bad was about to happen. 

“Silly girl…” The Prince said with a low voice. He gave a wide grin, head hanging low. His steps were heavy as he walked closer and closer to Anzu. “You were being fooled this whole time…! I’m not the Prince…!” 

The child’s head flew up to reveal glowing red eyes. “I’m the Vampire’s younger brother!” 

Anzu’s eyes widened. What? The Prince wasn’t the Prince? She was being tricked this entire time? She gave a look of fear. “No!! You can’t be!!” 

“But I am!!” The Vampire’s brother laughed. He immediately joined his sibling. “Because there’s no such thing as a Prince! There’s actually a Princess!” 

The older brother laughed as well before pointing to the girl. “And that’s you…!”

What? She was the princess?! Then that means she was going to be eaten! “No! I won’t let you! Help me! Someone help me!” 

“There’s no one to help you now!” The younger brother sneered. “Face the wrath of the two Vampire brothers!”

“Yes...get ready to have your blood sucked!” The older brother joined. The two slowly started to walk closer to Anzu. 

No…! No!!! Anzu tried to move away with all her might, but because of the Vampire’s powers, she wasn’t able to. All she could do was shout in fear. They were moving closer! She was going to die! No! She can’t die! She’s too young to die!  _ “NoooOOOOOO!!!!” _

Suddenly, the two brothers stopped. Their eyes widened at the sight before them. The girl was sobbing tears of fright, covering her face, and giving ugly screams. Their scary faces immediately turned to remorse, running to give the girl a hug. They just wanted to have fun…! It was then they realized that the actions may have gone too far. 

“Hey, are you okay? We didn’t mean to make you cry!!” The younger brother yelled in worry. 

“We may have taken it too far. We apologize…” The older brother felt a little bad. 

Hearing the sorry statements, Anzu’s tears slowed to a stop. She looked up at the two brothers with small sniffles, her hands wiping off the ugly snot and tears coming out of her face. Seeing the genuine look of worry on the boy’s faces, she couldn’t help but give a small smile. “...It’s okay...At least it wasn’t real…”

The brothers smiled as well at the forgiveness. The younger brother raised his hand high. “I’m Ritsu! This is my brother Rei. What’s your name?”

Anzu looked at the brothers carefully, before opening her mouth a little. “I’m Anzu…”

“Nice to meet you!” Ritsu smiled. 

“The adventure we had was fun. Maybe we should play again sometime…” Rei smiled as well. 

“Mm. Let’s do that…” Anzu laughed. 

Thus, was the start of their friendship.


	2. Chapter 2

** _1._ **

The light steps of the brave-hearted girl fluttered across the streets as she was on her way home. She looked shy and secluded because of the way she was holding the bookbag close to her chest, but her soft smile said otherwise. This child had finally grown into a fine young woman, eyes bright and filled with dreams. The world gave her multiple roles in life and she took them all with a fist full of confidence. 

One of these roles, apparently, was a caretaker. On her way home every day, she passed through the prestigious Yumenosaki Academy, a place for students to grow and boom into passionate idols. Every time she walked past it, she would smile. After all, her two best friends would someday be those fabulous idols everyone adored. 

...Although, it was just a dream for now. 

Ever since the three of them met, a roller coaster continued to ride on hills. In all honesty, they never expected such occurrences to exist. They were simply naive children expecting perfect sails for a calm cruise. What instead happened were rough storms here and icebergs there. It wasn’t long before their cruise turned into a feat filled with blood sweat and tears. It was too much of a mess to be called organized. 

Despite this, the three of them continued on their trek, sweat dripping down their heads and throats running dry. 

“Ritchan…” Anzu whispered. “Ritchan, it’s time to wake up…”

Ritsu flinched a little from the whisper, a small sound escaping his weary soul. He laid in the center of the garden surrounded by a forest of flowers and trees. It hadn’t been long since he fell into a slumber and was upset that it was becoming short-lived. 

Anzu wouldn’t let it down. After all, it was her responsibility to see if Ritsu was okay or not. She lightly shook the younger boy again, whispering once more. “Ritchaaaaaan…” 

Finally, Ritsu opened his eyes. “Mmmm, An-chan what…”

Anzu gave a sigh of relief before smiling. “Good afternoon...I’m just here to check on you. What are you doing out here…? Shouldn’t you be on your way home…?”

“...Don’t wanna…” The sleepy child replied. He turned the other way so that his back faced the other. “I’m going to sleep here.”

Anzu blinked in surprise. What was this…? All of a sudden? She couldn’t help but stare at Ritsu in shock for a couple of seconds before she was flung back to reality. “H-here? It’s going to get cold! If you sleep here then you’ll get sick!”

“Then I’ll move to a practice room…” Ritsu replied back with a sleepy mumble. “Our group booked it for the entire day so it’s fine…” 

Anzu couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This was the first time Ritsu had ever been so defiant. Since when had it started? Was it when they first met? Was it when the tides started growing bigger? She didn’t know, but she did know that it had turned to a point where going back was impossible. 

However, in the back of her mind, Anzu knew that it would come to this. She had always known that this seed of sadness would grow into something bigger. 

** _2._ **  
  


“Huh? Rei-kun’s home?! He didn’t tell me anything!” 

Anzu’s voice was apparently too loud for Ritsu to handle. His hands immediately went to cover his ears before attempting to roll away from her. He mumbled a small whine before glancing over at the other. “Of course he didn’t...he’s too busy to…”

“Don’t you want to see him?!” Anzu couldn’t contain her excitement. After all, it had been months since she had seen her other childhood friend. Rei was always busy going around the world to settle important matters. His role in the Academy was apparently extremely important and if conflicts weren’t resolved correctly, it could lead to the potential destruction of the school. 

Ritsu thought differently. His vibrant red hues slowly disappeared into a deep slumber as he mumbled, “I don’t want to see that person ever again…”

“Eh-?” Anzu blinked. “Ritchan…!” 

She wanted to try and wake the other once more, but it was too late. Ritsu was already snoring. It brought a frown upon her face, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it. All she could do was watch the boy sleep with a sad look in her eyes and carry on to the Sakuma residence. 

When Anzu knocked on the door, the person she expected to see had opened the door. 

“Rei-kun!” A loud voice pierced their surroundings.

Red eyes blinked in surprise before relaxing. Rei couldn’t help but smile at the guest in front of him. “Anzu.” 

“Welcome home!” Anzu smiled. “Can I come in?” 

Rei’s laugh was dark but welcoming. “Of course. Make yourself at home.” 

With that, Anzu gladly stepped into the doors of the Sakuma mansion. She could still remember how much in awe she was seeing the residence as a child. Compared to her own two-story house, this place was filled with intricate designs lathered across the interior. Every part of the home was created for a reason. Sometimes, Anzu thought that not all of them were used correctly, but what could she do? This was Rei and Ritsu. Of course, they wouldn’t use some items according to the original purpose. 

“Do you want anything? I’m sure you must be hungry?” Rei asked, walking towards the kitchen. 

“Something small would be nice…” Usually, Anzu would decline on a meal, but she immediately ran here upon hearing about Rei’s arrival. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t hungry. 

“I’ll make some snacks then.” The vampire-like smile appeared on the boy’s expression as he disappeared. 

Anzu couldn’t help but smile to herself. Seeing Rei made her more than overjoyed. It really had been so long since the two of them were able to talk. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him. How have things been going outside of the country? Was he learning about a lot of things? Was it fun? 

“Is it stressful?” 

“Hm?” Rei looked up in surprise. He was caught off guard after taking a bite into his sandwich and had to quickly swallow it. “What do you mean?”

“Ah-” Anzu should have asked the question later...Oh well. It was too late now. “Going all over the world to do what you’re doing now. Is it stressful…?” 

Silence laid across the entire living room as Rei thought about his question. Despite the blank expression, Anzu could see the complicated emotions traveling through the other’s mind. How could she not if they haven’t been friends for so many years? 

“...I suppose so.” Rei finally answered with a smile. It was then when Anzu could finally notice the tired look in those red eyes. Those eyes used to be bright and mysterious. Now, it was fading into exhaustion. Anzu could only stare at them with a look of sadness. Despite how important this job was, it was actually really tiring...She set down her sandwich on the table. 

“...Ritchan doesn’t want to come home anymore. “

“I’ve noticed.” Rei set his food down as well. 

“Is there anything you can do to lessen the load…?” Blue hues fell to worry. 

“If there was, I would have done it a long time ago.” 

“...Nothing?” There was even more worry in Anzu’s voice. 

“...” Nothing but silence and a small smile. 

** _3._ **

Things were starting to go downhill. 

No matter how many times Anzu told Ritsu to come home, he never did. The number of times he was skipping classes were starting to show. If he continued to show such behavior, deeper consequences were going to take place. The younger brother wouldn’t be looking so prestigious.   
As for Rei, he continued to travel. The head of the school was giving him more work than ever asked for. The fatigue was clearly starting to show. Nevertheless, he continued to prove to everyone that he was able to do it. Each attempt succeeded perfectly. 

At a certain point, the students of Yumenosaki were starting to call the Sakuma brothers monsters. From vampires to other beings, theses two siblings were known as the creatures of the night. In a way, it made sense. One of them was always sleeping during the day. The other had an inhumane intelligence not even a businessman could have. It would be a lie if the two of them held no connotations of supernatural beings. 

However, Anzu could tell that the names were shaping the two. They were starting to become the monsters everyone knew them to be. It was disheartening. She hated to see it. 

Nevertheless, she continued to hope that there was some bit of light at the end of that tunnel. 

** _4._ **

The ring at Anzu’s door startled her that night. The last few weeks have been extremely hectic. Not only was there homework, but plans for an important event were about to take place. She was so immersed in her work that the loud notification caused her to jump out of her seat. Upon checking the time on her phone, she realized that it was almost 10 PM. Who would come to her so late? Granted it was the weekend, but still. Raising her defense, she went downstairs to the front entrance. 

When Anzu reached there, she carefully turned the knob and opened the door. “...Hello…?” 

Her eyes widened to see a familiar black-haired boy standing in front of her. 

Rei gave a smile upon seeing his friend. “Hello.” 

“Rei-kun!” Anzu’s voice rang out a bit too loudly for the night. She quickly shut herself up and covered her mouth. “...what are you doing here?” 

“I just came home after a long trip.” The vampire-like boy chuckled into the night. “Am I not allowed to visit you…?” 

“Ah-! No, that’s not what I meant!” She just realized that all of her plans were sprawled on her desk. “Just a second! I’ll be back! Feel free to come in if you want!” 

With that, the main character ran through her home and up the stairs. Rei couldn’t help but stare at the strange frenzy that occurred before him. Anzu was certainly a crazy one tonight, wasn’t she? No matter. It was the weekend. He supposed every person had a right to be crazy. Peeking through the door, red hues glanced around for a couple of seconds before stepping in. 

Anzu’s home was nothing like his fancy manor. There were no fancy decorations hung onto the walls. No patches of silver and gold stuck on the ceiling. It was a normal home with normal furniture and a normal atmosphere. It felt calming. It felt cozy. Rei couldn’t help but wonder if he preferred this feeling over his own home. 

When Rei stepped into the living room, Anzu had rushed back downstairs. “Do you want anything? I only have chips and ramen though…” 

Chips and ramen? My, this girl needed a more healthy diet. “Ramen is fine. I’ll take anything.” 

“Okay!” With that, Anzu hurried to the kitchen. 

Watching this girl soar brought a smile upon Rei’s face. How great would it be to have shackles disappear on his own ankles? Would he enjoy life more? Would he be thinking outside of the box more frequently? Would it be fun? 

“Is it stressful?” 

“Hm?” Anzu’s eyes widened in surprise. She was halfway through eating her ramen and hastily slurped the rest of the noodles while trying not to choke. “What?” 

Ah- maybe he should have asked the question at a better time. Oh well, nothing could be done now. “Is it stressful? Taking care of everything.” 

Aqua eyes blinked at the sudden question. It was a bit strange for Rei to ask this. Usually, it would be the other way around. Anzu would ask how he was doing and Rei would simply give a vague answer. Now that her friend was the one asking, she could see the walls start crumbling down. Bit by bit, until there was nothing but a clear mess of emotions. 

“...Mmm,” she set down her cup of ramen. “Not really? Knowing how you and Ritchan are actually gives me a lot of comfort. If you’re talking about school well...that’s a different story, but I’m doing okay!! I’m not hating life or anything.” 

“...Is that so?” Rei took a sip of broth from his ramen. “I thought it would be the opposite. You seem so busy with everything…I expected it to be tiring.”

“Well, someone needs to take care of you while you’re gone right? You think too low of yourself sometimes.” Anzu took a sip of broth herself. 

Red eyes widened at the pure bluntness. Him? Thinking too low? Was that really how Anzu saw him? In a way, he could see it. Months of flying in and out of the country were tiring. There was no way to lie about that. However, all of that was for the betterment of other people. Fixing problems himself would make other people happy, even if it meant sacrificing his own. Would that be what Anzu called ‘thinking low’? 

“What do you mean?”

“Like,” Anzu had to think about it for a few seconds. “You never take care of yourself. Every time I visit, you always look dead. I worry about you sometimes.”

Rei could only stare at the girl before falling to a low laugh. All of the buttons were being pressed. “Me? I am simply but a vampire, invisible to the sun and rampant in the night. Wouldn’t it make sense for me to look that tired…?”

“...Rei-kun…” Anzu looked at her friend with sad eyes. “You’re not a vampire. You’re a human.” 

Walls had fallen down. 

Silence fell within the home upon those words leaving Anzu’s lips. The world started to feel more real in those few seconds. Rei suddenly felt a tower of bricks leave his chest. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint what happened, but hearing such words suddenly brought his sky to open and birds to soar through the air. 

“...Hah.” Head fell low, bangs covering those dark red eyes. A low chuckle escaped the boy before it slowly became louder and louder. Anzu was shocked to hear a full-fledged laugh roar out of her friend. Something like this never happened. It was a bit strange to see...but for some reason, she also felt happy. 

After a few minutes, Rei lifted his head up. Those eyes which were once like a monster were now glowing a bright ruby sapphire, glimmering like a human. A large smile was present upon that gleaming face. It was as if he was a new person. Anzu hadn’t seen him this bright in years. It was as if he could see the six-year-old child from all the way back then once more. It was a sight to see...and it was wonderful. 

“I see.” Rei finally answered with another laugh. “I suppose you are right.” 

“Thank you.”

Anzu’s eyes widened at the gratitude, before offering a huge smile of her own. “It’s no problem!” 

** _5._ **

The war in Kimisaki had begun. 

Anzu was in the middle of it all.

There was a certain point in time when ranks turned to an abusive hierarchy. Those who couldn’t develop fast enough became nothing but pebbles in an ocean. Those who blossomed quickly became the lightning to strike the pebbles to dust. In a few days' time, her world was filled with raging storms consisting of broken tears and hubris stuffed to the brim. 

Frankly, Anzu was tired of it. 

Every day, she would raise fork and torch in order to create a system that made everyone happy. She wished for a world where people wouldn’t be ignored. She wished for a world where everything was made fairly. Anzu couldn’t understand why people had to be mistreated so horribly. How could it be called “fair play” when people finished their stage with injuries to the body and mind? Absurd. Something needed to be done. 

It was exhausting...but Anzu kept going. 

During all of this, she continued to check on her two best friends. Despite the blood, sweat, and tears she continued to make sure their hearts were well. Every day, Anzu would slip through the gates of Yumenosaki Highschool in order to check on Ritsu. She made sure he was sleeping in a place suitable enough for his fragile body and she always made sure there was a blanket for him. 

Whenever Rei was home, Anzu would always knock on the doors of his mansion to see if he was alright. Whether it be for a short time or not she wanted to help her friend as much as she could. She could see how stressful Rei’s trips must have been with every visit. Those wonderful glowing ruby eyes were fading into a dull red, and it was too sad to see. Anzu wanted to keep those hues shining at least for a little longer. 

After all, even if she didn’t win the war, perhaps her best friends would be able to win theirs. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Check out my twitter! 
> 
> @laxeanfortis


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